Newz Forum: PFL:BOXING: Oscar De La Hoya SportzNewz Boxing Profile

A superstar whose popularity trancends boxing, Oscar is considered to be one of the best
fighters in the world at any weight - Pound-for-Pound. He is also the biggest non-heavyweight attraction and moneymaker at the gate. Oscar has
defeated 14 world champions, one twice.

Bio - TopRank.com
Steve Springer of the Los Angeles Times wrote, “With his prospects for a meaningful fight at 154 pounds having evaporated, Oscar De La Hoya has
decided to move up to 160 pounds, acclimate himself with a June 5 match against World Boxing Organization champion Felix Sturm of Germany and take on
undisputed middleweight king Bernard Hopkins in the fall.

“ ‘Bernard Hopkins is very, very dangerous,’ De La Hoya said. ‘I’m not doing this for the money. I’m doing it for history. This guy
[Hopkins] is strong…I know I’m in deep water.’

“De La Hoya has decided he will fight only once more after the Hopkins match. ‘I want a going-away party,’ he said.”

Oscar is coming off a very controversial decision loss in his last fight against Shane Mosley - the vast majority of people who watched the fight,
some 75 % according to various internet polls, thought Oscar deserved to win.

Regarding that fight, Oscar said, “I don’t feel like a loser and that makes a big difference for me. When I fought Mosley the first time around, I
felt like I lost, that he got me that night. With this fight, I just don’t feel that way. I will continue on in the sport, the sport that made me
who I am today. Boxing is in my blood. This is the sport I love and will continue being in as long as my body and mind allow me to.”

Regarding the scoring of the Mosley fight, he said, “I don’t want to blame anyone or point fingers, but that will be a mystery to me for the rest
of my life. I put it in its proper place. I’m moving forward. After talking with my family and my wife, I feel wonderful. I feel like the champ. My
body and my mind feel great. I feel fresh. I feel at ease.”

Key Fights – 2003 - LOST WBC, WBA SW WORLD TITLES - in his last fight on 9-13-03 in Las Vegas, NV, he lost a 12 round unanimous decision in the
rematch against Shane Mosley (38-2): the fight was a tremendous event - it drew an announced capacity crowd of 16,268 at the MGM Grand and sold
975,000 pay-per-view buys; it was also a very controversial decision - Oscar started fast, boxed and moved effectively and built a lead on the
scorecards, but was cut next to the right eye by a clash of heads in the 4th round; many observers thought he practically shut out Mosley through
eight rounds, but on all three judges’ cards he led by much closer scores of 77-75; Mosley rallied in the late rounds and landed several hard right
hands to the body - he won the last five rounds on two judges’ scorecards and the last four on the other, and won by scores of 115-113 on all three
scorecards…

2ND WBC WORLDTITLE DEFENSE, 1ST WBA UNIFIED SW WORLD TITLE DEFENSE - on 5-3-03 in Las Vegas he TKO’d former IBF jr. middleweight world champion Yory
Boy Campas (80-5): Oscar gave a strong effort; he dominated the fight, wore down Campas, and Campas’ corner stopped the fight at 2:54 of the 6th
round; Campas was penalized one point in the 6th round for repeatedly dropping his mouthpiece; after the fight, Oscar said, “I got what I wanted. I
got a win, got good work, and my right hand was better.”…

2002 – 1ST WBC SW WORLD TITLE DEFENSE, WON WBA WORLD TITLE - on 9-14-02 in Las Vegas he TKO’d WBA champion Fernando Vargas (22-1): Oscar gave a
brilliant performance that displayed not only his tangible qualities - skills, speed, power, durability - but the intangible, as well – desire,
determination, experience, and heart; a capacity crowd of 11,425 at Mandalay Bay saw a tremendous battle; the momentum shifted throughout the fight
and both fighters were rocked and bloodied - De La Hoya’s nose was bleeding in the fifth round and Vargas was cut under the right eye in the sixth;
De La Hoya outboxed Vargas in the seventh and eighth rounds, but Vargas came back strongly in the ninth; De La Hoya staggered Vargas late in the tenth
round and knocked him down, flat on his back, in the eleventh; he got up, but De La Hoya followed with an unanswered series of punches and the referee
stopped the fight at 1:48; after ten rounds, the judges scored 96-94, 96-94 De La Hoya, 97-94 Vargas;

After the fight, Oscar said, “This has to rank up there. Fernando Vargas is no pushover. His strength really surprised me. At first, I thought he
was too strong for me, but when I was turning and he was missing, I knew he would get tired. I knew I was faster, so I knew I could utilize my
quickness to catch him in the later rounds. I had to be patient, go to the body, feint and use combinations. I thought he got tired about the seventh
round. A lot of people are surprised when they come in the ring with me. They don’t think I’m fast enough, strong enough. But I can pack a
punch, that’s for sure. I know it sounds brutal, but when I saw his blood, I wanted more. This was for the Mexican people.”…

2001 – WON WBC SW WORLD TITLE – on 6-23-01 in Las Vegas he won a 12 round unanimous decision against defending champion Francisco Castillejo
(51-4): Oscar dominated the fight – he bloodied Castillejo’s nose in the 8th round, rocked him with several sharp punches in the 9th, and scored a
knockdown in the last seconds of the 12th; scored 119-108 on all three scorecards; regarding winning titles in five weight divisions, Oscar said,
“To be included with Hearns and Leonard is history, but I want one more at 160. I feel like I improved a lot since my first fight with Mayweather.
You can’t build Rome in a day and we are only at the second level. Stamina-wise, I felt good but there was one point when my legs went out from
under me.”…
On 3-24-01 in Las Vegas he TKO’d former IBF jr. lightweight champion Arturo Gatti (33-4): Oscar scored a knockdown in the 1st round and cut Gatti
under the right eye; he rocked Gatti again in the 3rd, and both fighters landed hard punches late in the round; Oscar rocked Gatti several times in
the 5th, and Gatti’s corner stopped the fight at 1:16; after the fight, Oscar said, “I’m very happy with the way I fought, but I’m not even
close to being as good a fighter as I can be. This was just the beginning. I still have a lot to work on.”…

2000 – LOST WBC W WORLD TITLE – on 6-17-00 in Los Angeles, CA, he lost a 12 round split decision against Shane Mosley (34-0): it was a spectacular
fight, one of the best of the year; Oscar started fast and led after six rounds by scores of 59-55, 58-56, 57-57; but Mosley came on strong in the
second half of the fight, and won by scores of 116-112, 115-113 Mosley, 115-13 De La Hoya; the fight set a new California state record for gate
receipts, nearly nine times larger than the old record set in 1990, and was the second biggest pay-per-view event of all-time for a non-heavyweight
fight…

WBC W WORLD TITLE ELIMINATION BOUT - on 2-26-00 in New York, NY, he knocked out No. 2 ranked Derrell Coley (34-1-2): Oscar rocked Coley several times
and knocked him down for the count with two body punches at 3:00 of the 7th round; Oscar regained the WBC welterweight title on March 20, 2000, based
on this title eliminator win when champion Felix Trinidad relinquished the title to move up in weight…

1999 – LOST WBC W WORLD TITLE - on 9-18-99 in Las Vegas, NV, he lost a 12 round majority decision against IBF champion Felix Trinidad (35-0): it was
a very close and disputed decision; Oscar boxed effectively and frustrated Trinidad with movement, and led after eight rounds by scores of 77-75,
77-75, 77-76; but Trinidad constantly pressured him in the late rounds and Oscar boxed cautiously; Trinidad won the last four rounds on one judge’s
card and three of the last four on the other two, and won by scores of 115-114, 115-113, 114-114; many observers thought Oscar won the fight; after
the fight, Oscar said, “I was protecting the rounds I had in the bag. I wanted to demonstrate a boxing show, but I guess it didn’t work. I hurt
inside emotionally. Obviously, in my heart I thought I won the fight. I thought I won it easily.”…
7TH WBC W WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 5-22-99 in Las Vegas he TKO’d Oba Carr (48-2-1): Oscar scored a knockdown in the 1st round, but Carr recovered
and was very competitive; Oscar scored another knockdown in the 11th round with a left hook - Carr got up but was in no condition to continue, and the
fight was stopped at 0:55; after ten rounds, Oscar led on the scorecards 95-92, 96-91, 97-90…

6TH WBC W WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 2-13-99 in Las Vegas he won a 12 round split decision against former WBA champion Ike Quartey (34-0-1): Oscar was
effective early and scored a knockdown in the 6th, but was knocked down himself later in the round; Quartey rallied in the next three rounds, and
after nine rounds, the scorecards read 89-84 Quartey, 86-86, 86-86; but Oscar finished strongly - he swept the last three rounds on two judges’
cards, with a 10-8 round on all three in the 12th - he knocked down Quartey early in the final round, and nearly finished him with a furious series of
punches; scored 116-113, 116-112 De La Hoya, 115-114 Quartey…

1998 - 5TH WBC W WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 9-18-98 in Las Vegas he TKO’d former three-time world champion Julio Cesar Chavez (100-2-2): Chavez was
badly cut over both eyes and on his lower lip, and was unable to answer the bell for the ninth round; Oscar led by scores of 78-75, 78-75, 79-73…

4TH WBC W WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 6-13-98 in El Paso, TX, he TKO’d Patrick Charpentier (27-4-1): Oscar dominated the fight, scored three
knockdowns in the third round, and stopped Charpentier at 1:56 of the round…

1997 - 3RD WBC W WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 12-6-97 in Atlantic City, NJ, he TKO’d Wilfredo Rivera (27-2-1): Oscar cut Rivera in the 2nd round,
scored a knockdown in the 4th, and stopped Rivera on the cut at 2:48 of the the 8th round…

2ND WBC W WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 9-13-97 in Las Vegas he won a 12 round unanimous decision against former two-time world champion Hector Camacho
(64-3-1): Oscar dominated the fight and won by scores of 120-106, 120-105, 118-108.…

1ST WBC W WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 6-14-97 in San Antonio, TX, he knocked out David Kamau (28-1): Oscar scored two knockdowns 2nd round, and Kamau
was counted out at 2:54 of the round …

WON WBC W WORLD TITLE – on 4-12-97 in Las Vegas he won a 12 round unanimous decision against defending champion Pernell Whitaker (40-1-1): Oscar
kept a busier pace in a tactical fight, scored 116-110, 116-110, 115-111…

1ST WBC SL WORLD TITLE DEFENSE - on 1-18-97 in Las Vegas he won a 12 round unanimous decision against previously undefeated former lightweight
champion Miguel Angel Gonzalez (41-0): Oscar dominated the fight and won by scores of 117-109, 117-110, and 117-111.…

1996 – WON WBC SL WORLD TITLE – on 6-7-96 in Las Vegas he TKO’d defending champion Julio Cesar Chavez (96-1-1): Chavez was badly cut in the 1st
round, and his mouth and nose were bloodied as well; the referee stopped the fight at 2:37 of the 4th round…

1995 – 6TH WBO L WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 12-15-95 in San Antonio he TKO’d former WBC jr. lightweight champion Jesse James Leija (30-1-2): Leija
could not continue after the 2nd round…

5TH WBO L WORLD TITLE DEFENSE - on 9-9-95 in Las Vegas he TKO’d former WBA jr. lightweight champion Genaro Hernandez (32-0-1) : Oscar broke
Hernandez’ nose, and he could not continue after the 6th round…

4TH WBO L WORLD TITLE DEFENSE - on 5-6-95 in Las Vegas he TKO’d former IBF lightweight champion Rafael Ruelas (43-1) at 1:43 of the 2nd round…

3RD WBO L WORLD TITLE DEFENSE - on 2-18-95 he won a 12 round unanimous decision against former three-time jr. lightweight world champion John John
Molina (36-3): Molina gave Oscar his hardest fight to that point; scored 116-111, 116-111, 117-110…

1994 – 2ND WBO L WORLD TITLE DEFENSE - on 12-10-94 in Los Angeles he TKO’d John Avila (20-1-1) at 1:07 of the 9th round…

1ST WBO L WORLD TITLE DEFENSE - on 11-18-94 in Las Vegas he TKO’d Carl Griffith (28-3-2) at 1:02 of the 3rd round…

WON VACANT WBO L WORLD TITLE – on 7-29-94 in Las Vegas he knocked out former IBF featherweight champion Jorge Paez (53-6-4) at 0:39 of the 2nd
round…

1ST WBO JL WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 5-27-94 in Las Vegas he TKO’d previously undefeated Giorgio Campanella (20-0) at 0:38 of the 3rd round…

WON WBO JL WORLD TITLE – on 3-5-94 in Los Angeles he TKO’d previously undefeated defending champion Jimmi Bredahl (16-0): Bredahl’s corner
stopped the fight after the 10th round…

He debuted at the age of 19 on 11-23-92…

AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Oscar was born and raised in East Los Angeles…he said, “I was a little kid who used to fight a lot on the street and
get beat up. But I liked boxing. So my dad took me to the gym.”…Oscar started boxing at the age of six and reportedly had 228 amateur fights
(223-5)…his father and grandfather were both boxers…

1992 Olympic gold medalist, 132 pounds: Oscar defeated Marco Rudolph by a 7-2 decision in the finals to become the only U.S. gold medalist in the 1992
games; Oscar had vowed to win at the Olympics for his mother, who died of breast cancer when he was working towards making the Olympic team; Oscar
said, “The most important thing I’ve done in my life was winning the Olympic gold medal for my mother. Every time I won, it was like telling my
mom, ‘Here is another one for you.’ She was my motivation, my biggest fan.’ ”…

1991 World Championships silver medalist, 132 pounds: Oscar lost by decision to Rudolph in the finals…

In 2000, Oscar recorded a pop music CD that was nominated for a Grammy Award…

In October, 2001, he married Puerto Rican singer Millie Corretjer in a private ceremony in Puerto Rico; Oscar said, “Ever since I met her, my life
has been different. I have what I want. I have my jewel in Millie.”…

In December, 2001, Oscar formed his own boxing promotion company, Golden Boy Promotions…

In early 2002, Oscar had arthroscopic surgery for a torn ligament in his left wrist, an injury he sustained in the first round of his 1999 fight
against Oba Carr…

In 2003 Defeated Fernando Vargas by TKO in one of the most anticipated fights of the year winning the WBA World Super Welterweight Title. Also
Defeated Yory Boy Campas to retain those same Titles later in the year.

In 2004 Lost a controversial desicion in his rematch against Shane Mosley.

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